Jacinda Ardern

[rdytdy 5,341]

By Christie

This Government Is in Trouble

While listening to Jacinda’s interview with Mike Hosking yesterday morning, it was impossible not to notice how her demeanour has changed. Gone were the quips, the cheery voice, the almost patronising tone she adopts with Hosking every week. This was someone under enormous stress. Her tone was flat, she said the same thing over and over. No one was believing her – and she knew it.

If Jacinda is feeling the pressure of the numerous Labour sex scandals finally coming home to roost, then she has only herself to blame.

 

How she could expect to continue to hide behind process and reviews time and time again, is beyond me. It is her favourite form of obfuscation. She never has to give a definitive answer to anything whilst there is a review in progress, or a report is being written. It was only ever a matter of time before this tactic would no longer work. This time, the mother of hugs; the leader of the country’s most ‘open and transparent’ government; the prime minister who claimed that there is no need to lie in politics, is laid bare for all to see. She has no substance and the truth is something she flirts with on occasions, but never engages with in a serious way.

How exactly she thought she would ever get away with having the alleged perpetrator of serious sexual assault accusations continuing to work in her office shows how naive she really is. Has she completely forgotten the haranguing that John Key suffered for weeks over playfully pulling a waitress’ ponytail: in public and in front of his wife? Did she really think that the media, which has had a love affair with her since her very first day, would let her get away with covering up sexual assault within the Labour party, on more than one occasion? Did she really think everyone would fall for the lie that she could do nothing about the alleged attacker, when he worked in her own office and she could have stood him down at any time? Why did she not have him removed as soon as complaints started to surface? Anyone working in the office of the prime minister must be always above suspicion. A new low has been set in the office of the current prime minister.

She obviously thought she could get away with it, because everyone loves Jacinda and she can do anything she wants. Not any more.

Or could it be that the Labour hierarchy kept the truth from her, because she is so clueless that they basically just ignore her most of the time? Maybe they just didn’t want her to worry her pretty little head about it?

The victims of the alleged attacker were told that they were going to be ignored because this staffer is too valuable. That alone raises the question of the moral quality of those who work in the top echelons of the current government. How did Jacinda not see what a ticking time-bomb this matter has been all along?

Forget all that. Why did she not do something for the victims? Why did she not talk to them? Jacinda had a reputation, now tarnished forever, of being kind and caring and of being in charge of a government concerned about wellbeing. Did she ever give even a second’s thought to the wellbeing of the victims? It seems not.

Just stop and think of some of the scandals that embarrassed the previous government. There was Ponytailgate, of course, along with John Key mincing along the catwalk, his 3-way handshake and his games with radio jocks over a bar of soap. Then there was the endless hounding of Judith Collins over a meeting in China. There was the unfortunate Todd Barclay case, where a young and inexperienced MP was hounded by the media. Then there were the Aaron Gilmore and Maurice Williamson cases, where, as soon as there was a hint of inappropriate behaviour, they were forcibly stood down.

Compare all of those with a person working in the prime minister’s office, accused of sexual assault, where the party has tried its best to brush everything under the carpet so he could continue with his job.

Jacinda, on the Mike Hosking show, described herself as an employer, which, while not absolutely 

accurate, makes the situation worse. It is the duty of employers to look after the welfare of all of their staff and to take appropriate action to protect their staff members. Any employer who protects an alleged attacker and hangs his victims out to dry is a disgrace. Jacinda should hang her head in shame; but if she is hanging her head at all today, it is because she has been caught out. No other reason.

The electorate can now see that this government is incapable of doing anything properly. Whether it is corruption or just plain incompetence (and what incompetence!) makes no difference. The halls of power are peopled by fools. And dangerous fools at that.

Labour should have known that, by making Jacinda their leader, her naivety and incompetence would show itself in the end. They were so desperate to get into government that they were prepared to do anything to achieve it. Well, it is all unravelling at a rate of knots now.

Never mind; she has a trip to New York coming up. That will be a great opportunity for some good photo-shoots so that she can appear on the cover of a few more magazines and put all this behind her. I wonder if she will take Neve along again? Why not? It worked last year.

 

 

[Ohokaman 5,825]

30 minutes ago, rdytdy said:

By Christie

This Government Is in Trouble

While listening to Jacinda’s interview with Mike Hosking yesterday morning, it was impossible not to notice how her demeanour has changed. Gone were the quips, the cheery voice, the almost patronising tone she adopts with Hosking every week. This was someone under enormous stress. Her tone was flat, she said the same thing over and over. No one was believing her – and she knew it.

If Jacinda is feeling the pressure of the numerous Labour sex scandals finally coming home to roost, then she has only herself to blame.

 

How she could expect to continue to hide behind process and reviews time and time again, is beyond me. It is her favourite form of obfuscation. She never has to give a definitive answer to anything whilst there is a review in progress, or a report is being written. It was only ever a matter of time before this tactic would no longer work. This time, the mother of hugs; the leader of the country’s most ‘open and transparent’ government; the prime minister who claimed that there is no need to lie in politics, is laid bare for all to see. She has no substance and the truth is something she flirts with on occasions, but never engages with in a serious way.

How exactly she thought she would ever get away with having the alleged perpetrator of serious sexual assault accusations continuing to work in her office shows how naive she really is. Has she completely forgotten the haranguing that John Key suffered for weeks over playfully pulling a waitress’ ponytail: in public and in front of his wife? Did she really think that the media, which has had a love affair with her since her very first day, would let her get away with covering up sexual assault within the Labour party, on more than one occasion? Did she really think everyone would fall for the lie that she could do nothing about the alleged attacker, when he worked in her own office and she could have stood him down at any time? Why did she not have him removed as soon as complaints started to surface? Anyone working in the office of the prime minister must be always above suspicion. A new low has been set in the office of the current prime minister.

She obviously thought she could get away with it, because everyone loves Jacinda and she can do anything she wants. Not any more.

Or could it be that the Labour hierarchy kept the truth from her, because she is so clueless that they basically just ignore her most of the time? Maybe they just didn’t want her to worry her pretty little head about it?

The victims of the alleged attacker were told that they were going to be ignored because this staffer is too valuable. That alone raises the question of the moral quality of those who work in the top echelons of the current government. How did Jacinda not see what a ticking time-bomb this matter has been all along?

Forget all that. Why did she not do something for the victims? Why did she not talk to them? Jacinda had a reputation, now tarnished forever, of being kind and caring and of being in charge of a government concerned about wellbeing. Did she ever give even a second’s thought to the wellbeing of the victims? It seems not.

Just stop and think of some of the scandals that embarrassed the previous government. There was Ponytailgate, of course, along with John Key mincing along the catwalk, his 3-way handshake and his games with radio jocks over a bar of soap. Then there was the endless hounding of Judith Collins over a meeting in China. There was the unfortunate Todd Barclay case, where a young and inexperienced MP was hounded by the media. Then there were the Aaron Gilmore and Maurice Williamson cases, where, as soon as there was a hint of inappropriate behaviour, they were forcibly stood down.

Compare all of those with a person working in the prime minister’s office, accused of sexual assault, where the party has tried its best to brush everything under the carpet so he could continue with his job.

Jacinda, on the Mike Hosking show, described herself as an employer, which, while not absolutely 

accurate, makes the situation worse. It is the duty of employers to look after the welfare of all of their staff and to take appropriate action to protect their staff members. Any employer who protects an alleged attacker and hangs his victims out to dry is a disgrace. Jacinda should hang her head in shame; but if she is hanging her head at all today, it is because she has been caught out. No other reason.

The electorate can now see that this government is incapable of doing anything properly. Whether it is corruption or just plain incompetence (and what incompetence!) makes no difference. The halls of power are peopled by fools. And dangerous fools at that.

Labour should have known that, by making Jacinda their leader, her naivety and incompetence would show itself in the end. They were so desperate to get into government that they were prepared to do anything to achieve it. Well, it is all unravelling at a rate of knots now.

Never mind; she has a trip to New York coming up. That will be a great opportunity for some good photo-shoots so that she can appear on the cover of a few more magazines and put all this behind her. I wonder if she will take Neve along again? Why not? It worked last year.

 

 

And there must be a wedding coming up soon too right....?  2020 my guess.....

[rdytdy 5,341]

 

Barry Soper: Labour Party's handling of sex attack claims beggars belief

There was a highly popular television series in the 1960s called "Hogan's Heroes" and one of its stars was a large German guard Sergeant Schultz who constantly came up with a rejoinder to any crisis, barking out: "I see nothing, I hear nothing, I know nothing."

It's been hard this week to look at Jacinda Ardern and Labour Party president Nigel Haworth and not to think of the German's theatric denials.

It beggars belief that the leadership of the Labour Party didn't know something about the allegations of sexual abuse levelled at a Labour staffer.

This man was after all sent packing from Parliament five weeks ago and is apparently now working from home. Ardern admits to being aware he was the subject of complaints but had no idea that they were of a sexual nature.

If she's to be believed it seems she blithely accepted the word of Haworth that the complaints were, well just complaints. It also seems she was aware of an email sent to some of us in the media two months ago, purportedly from a woman who was representing 12 complainants against the the same staffer who she named, with many of the alleged complaints being sexual including allegations of rape.

 

Sergeant Schultz from Hogan's Heroes.

She admits to taking advice on the email, spoke to Haworth but was assured the complaint he was dealing with wasn't sexual.

It was only yesterday when she read the account of the alleged sexual assault on a 19-year-old volunteer on the website The Spinoff that she claims she realised sex was involved. It seems as though Ardern's been living in a soundproof cocoon for the past several weeks as the media around her raged about the alleged sexual assaults.

And the same could be said of Haworth, who says he too was unaware of the serious allegation of sexual assault until he read the account yesterday.

Not everyone can be telling the truth, between Ardern, Haworth and the complainants' version of events so far.

Don't expect the guilt to fall on Ardern when the Queen's Counsel they've hired to review the process Labour adopted in dealing with the complaint comes down with her finding. For her part the PM's left us in no doubt that she's had what she says is contradictory information from what Haworth's been telling her and what's she's now finally seen in the media.

She says she needs clarity and will act decisively when the QC delivers her findings in about a month's time. If Haworth's found wanting, Ardern says she expects him to do the decent thing and resign. But what if she's found wanting? I can't see her doing the same thing.

 

With both of them doing a Sergeant Schultz, they sound about as credible as he was.

 

 

[voice of reason 90]

Regardless of our veiws on jacinda ...most in the media just attack her all the time no matter what..so she is undermined relentlessly.

hosking..garner..soper..tova obrien..du plesis allan..peter williams..richardson.. etc ...most of these people i wouldnt trust one inch..these people are unabashed ,full on national supporters ,..so how can they possibly give an objective opinion..and as for tova she is a reporter ,there to report ,not give personal editorials.

 

[shodsie 208]

5 minutes ago, voice of reason said:

Regardless of our veiws on jacinda ...most in the media just attack her all the time no matter what..so she is undermined relentlessly.

hosking..garner..soper..tova obrien..du plesis allan..peter williams..richardson.. etc ...most of these people i wouldnt trust one inch..these people are unabashed ,full on national supporters ,..so how can they possibly give an objective opinion..and as for tova she is a reporter ,there to report ,not give personal editorials.

 

You have too be kidding?? Early wind up on a Wednesday arfo 

[rdytdy 5,341]

Does anyone actually believe Jacinda didn't know???   

By BDF

First Head Rolls as Labour Sex Scandal goes Bananas

Labour’s president, Nigel Haworth, has fallen on his sword as the Labour sex scandal threatens to engulf the Prime Minister.

Labour President Nigel Haworth has resigned over his handling of sexual assault allegations.

Haworth offered his resignation to Ardern after she read correspondence to the party confirming that the complaints were very serious.

Ardern made her displeasure with Haworth clear, saying “mistakes were made”.

It follows reports by Stuff that a former Labour party volunteer says he raised these allegations with Haworth.

Haworth issued a statement on Tuesday claiming a 19-year-old woman did not tell him she was sexually assaulted by a Labour staffer, when they met in August 2018. He also said the accusation was also not provided to a panel established to investigate the man’s conduct.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has repeatedly said she was not told the allegations were of a sexual nature. 

Stuff’s story appeared to contradict that.

Now the focus very much falls onto what Jacinda Ardern knew, and when she knew.

No amount of frowny faces or concerned vocal fry is going to make this go away anytime soon.

Absolutely no one believes her story and now that Haworth is gone she will be under the hammer.

Photos like this are going to be very hard to explain away.

[Ohokaman 5,825]

Did you see Ardern and Robertson scuttling for cover when the hard questions started tonight...?   Coming apart.....

[rdytdy 5,341]

Matthew Hooten stated on radio this morning:

"Let's cut to the chase. He is well known to the media, most people in Wellington do. He is a well-connected highly ranked Labour person. He is a part of the woke liberal left wing Ardern cult.

That is why he is being protected by Ardern and is why she is prepared to say things to the media which cannot possibly be true in order to defend him. and that is why large elements of the Wellington left wing media in the press gallery have defended him:"

Read below and tell me the PM didn't know anything at all: 

Timeline: Everything we know about the Labour staffer inquiry

By Toby Manhire

 

All the key dates and critical communications between Sarah* and the Labour Party – including unambiguous references to ‘sexual assault’ from the complainant.

Jacinda Ardern has declared herself “deeply concerned and incredibly frustrated” over the allegations levelled at a Labour staffer as well as the party investigation into the man, who remains employed by the Labour leader’s office and denies wrongdoing.

The party president says he is “confident I have handled the process in a professional manner”.

The prime minister says she had been assured that no complainant alleged sexual assault or violence. She says the first she learned of the nature of the allegations that Sarah (a pseudonym) insists she raised repeatedly with the Labour Party, was upon reading the Spinoff’s investigation published on Monday.

A crucial question is whether the Labour Party’s position, that it was not informed of the allegations, is tenable. Just as important is whether its process – for example in repeatedly failing to meet complainants’ requests to review the summaries of their oral evidence – is defensible.

Below, an incomplete chronology, based on public statements and numerous documents provided to The Spinoff.

 

2018

Mid-February

The incident at the home of the staffer takes place, according to Sarah, as described in this feature.

March 12

Newsroom reports complaints about the handling of allegations relating to a Labour Youth Summer Camp, which had been held in February in Waihi.

March 15

Labour announces a review into the Summer Camp allegations, to be conducted by Maria Berryman.

“We failed the young people who told us they had been hurt – this failure left them feeling abandoned and I am deeply sorry for that. It’s not good enough, we let them down,” says Jacinda Ardern. “We handled this very, very badly as a party.”

Labour Party President Nigel Haworth invites anyone with other complaints to bring them forward. “I want this to be a safe party where everyone can go to any event and be sure they won’t be harassed or subjected to any of this treatment. It is utterly unacceptable.”

April 17

Sarah raises concerns about the behaviour of the man at the centre of the allegations for the first time in writing – having previously discussed with fellow party members – in an email to Maria Berryman.

July 10

Nigel Haworth writes to Young Labour members to “explain what the party has been doing in recent weeks”. He adds: “The NZ Council has determined that it will do all that it can to ensure the party is safe and inclusive in future,” and urges anyone concerned to contact him.

August 6

Sarah emails Haworth in response to the above, alleging “predatory behaviour” on the part of the individual, and asking whom to contact.

August 29

The Berryman report is provided to senior Labour members but not published. Recommendations include introducing a new open process to enable complaints to be received and responded to without delay and with appropriate specialist advice.

October 18

A Labour Party official contacts Sarah to set up a meeting to discuss her complaints, stemming from her email to Haworth.

October 23

Sarah meets the official and Haworth at the Wellington Central Library. Sarah, by her account, outlines the allegation of sexual assault. Haworth disputes this.

2019

February 24

The New Zealand Council, Labour’s governing body, meets to assess whether an investigation should take place. It agrees that it should, and appoints a three-person “sub-committee” to investigate alleged misconduct. All three are members of Labour’s NZ Council.

February 25

A party official emails complainants advising that a sub-committee has been appointed.

March 4

Complainants receive written notification that interviews will take place on March 9.

March 9

Interviews are held with what is thought to be seven complainants at Fraser House, Labour’s base on Willis Street, Wellington.

An hour before her interview, Sarah emails the investigating panel chair, writing, “I want to be able to read off of a timeline and testimony I’ve created. Would someone be able to print this before my interview?” In a screenshot viewed by The Spinoff, there are two documents attached. One is titled “To print, sexual assault”. Labour says he received no attachments.

The panel chair emails Sarah asking her to send the documents to a party official who is providing access to the building. She does so. According to Sarah, four copies of the documents were printed and placed on the table where the interview took place. Sarah goes through the document, explaining her experience, including the alleged sexual assault. The panelists dispute that they heard such allegations.

April 26

Sarah emails the panel seeking “an update on the investigation”. She writes: “Just adding the seriousness of the situation here, an accusation of sexual assault, manipulation, bullying and emotional abuse.”

May 6

Having had no reply to the previous email, she emails again, forwarding the previous correspondence, asking “are we able to get a response?” and saying she is concerned “given his continued approaches to the members who’ve spoken on behalf of this investigation”.

A member of the panel responds three hours later acknowledging receipt but not offering any update.

May 21

Nigel Haworth writes to complainants advising that the investigation will be concluding in the coming days, with a report to be finalised and sent to the NZ Council, which will consider its recommendations at a meeting on June 15.

One complainant responds, concerned about the paucity of information provided since their interviews. The process has been “completely unacceptable”, he writes. “While this investigation was ongoing (which involved elements of predatory behaviour, sexual violence and physical violence) he was allowed to [provide] swipe card access for a Young Labour event at parliament … It is like the party has learned nothing in the wake of the Young Labour summer school”.

Another, Sarah, responds separately, writing in an email to Haworth and the investigating panel: “Are we able to see a confirmation [of] testimonies that are being handed to [inquiry subject] and his legal team? At least my own script from meetings?” And: “Are we able to see the full report before you share the details to all of NZC?”

She writes: “Forgive me for being panicked, I’m just completely lost at the lack of communication… to now being told the investigation report had been completed.” She reiterates unequivocally that the allegations include sexual assault.

May 22

Sarah writes again to the members of the panel, copying Haworth, to agree to a meeting to “clarify the allegations and the matters that the party is investigating”, adding: “but the question still stands, am I able to see a confirmation of the testimonies that are being handed to [the respondent] and his legal team? At least my own script from meetings? … Not really keen to continue to provide all this information if it’s not being checked, we’re not sure who’s seeing it, and it’s being handed to [NZ Council] without follow up … The process we’ve ended up with is retraumatising so many people.”

The chair of the panel writes to Sarah, saying: “I am happy to provide a copy of your notes.”

June 11

Sarah emails the three panel members asking again for the notes from her interview. She also sends them “my notes of testimony”. Her attached notes include clear and repeated references to her own “sexual assault” in February 2018.

June 15

The NZ Council meeting considers the report of the investigating committee, and approves its recommendation of no disciplinary action.

July 5

Nigel Haworth writes to complainants to say that at the last meeting NZ Council “received and endorsed a report from the investigating panel. The recommendation was that no disciplinary action be taken in this case.”

He advises that there is no appeal process in the party constitution, but “this does not, of course, preclude an approach to Council in relation to queries that arise following the investigation”.

He says they will today receive “the transcript of your statement to the investigating panel. I recognise that this is important for all of you.” No such transcripts appear to have ever existed. The handwritten notes that were taken are not provided for another 10 days to one complainant, and a further eight days later to another.

July 12

The Labour party general secretary, Andre Anderson, writes to complainants advising that the process of the inquiry will be reviewed by the party solicitor. It will “be limited solely to procedural matters” and “not reinvestigate whether misconduct took place” nor involve fresh interviews. That will mean sharing with him “the information that you provided to the investigating committee when you were interviewed”.

After that review is complete, “NZ Council will then be able to make an informed decision regarding any further steps”.

He adds: “I understand that the investigating committee may now have sent you the written record of your interview. If not we will send it to you on Monday [July 16].”

He says the staffer has been asked to “stay away from Fraser House”, and asks that complainants “stay away from Bowen House (not just from the leader’s office)”.

July 15

A Labour Party official sends Sarah her “testimony”. “With the caveat that we have not yet been able to establish whether this was the exact version that the respondent saw.”

There is no reference in the handwritten, abbreviated notes to any allegation by Sarah of sexual assault.

July 23

Another of the complainants receives their testimony from the party.

August 5

The first news of the allegations and the inquiry is broken by Newshub. Tova O’Brien reports: “Newshub can reveal the Labour Party has been forced to review an internal investigation into bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault by a Labour staffer. It follows complaints the investigation process was botched and traumatising for the alleged victims. At least four people have resigned from official party roles and cancelled their membership as a result.”

On an unknown date in early August, Jacinda Ardern is given a “heads up” over the complaints made to the Labour Party in relation to the individual. At this point, she will later tell media, she asks whether there are any complaints involving allegations that are “sexual in nature or physical in nature”. She is “advised that they are not”.

August 6

Jacinda Ardern says of the review: “This has been a test of whether or not we’ve now learnt from [the Summer Camp scandal] and the party is taking a good look at whether we’ve satisfied the natural process of justice and whether or not we’ve supported the complainants as we should have.”

August 8

Paula Bennett reveals a Beehive staffer has approached her to protest Labour’s handling of complaints in the case.

A spokesperson for the prime minister responds: “To the best of our knowledge, the issues raised by Ms Bennett have not been raised with us, Parliamentary or Ministerial Services.”

August 10

Jacinda Ardern attends a meeting of the New Zealand Council, the governing body of the Labour Party, where she “expressed complete dissatisfaction with the way [the inquiry] had been handled by the Labour Party”. She “very seriously shared my view that they were not the appropriate place to undertake inquiries around concerning behaviour by members of the Labour Party, but particularly they are not the appropriate place to ever undertake an investigation into a sexual assault.”

August 12

Nigel Haworth issues a statement announcing the establishment of an “independent appeals process” to be conducted by an unnamed “independent and experienced expert”.

August 14

Nigel Haworth emails complainants in the investigation, saying “Council decided it was appropriate you be offered the opportunity to appeal”, providing a nine-day deadline for opting in.

September 4

The 21-year-old man facing allegations of sexual assault at the Labour Party summer camp agrees a plea deal, which sees the sexual allegations dropped and guilty pleas in relation to two amended charges of assault.

September 8

Stuff reports that complainants and witnesses in the case had been “barred from parliament offices”.

September 9

The Spinoff publishes a 4,000 word investigative feature detailing Sarah’s experience, headlined: “A Labour volunteer alleged a violent sexual assault by a Labour staffer. This is her story.”

A statement from Nigel Haworth provided to the Spinoff includes the following: “It’s important to be clear that none of the complaints the party investigated related to sexual assault. The person leading the original review made it clear to the complainants that the party would never be the appropriate body to handle allegations of that nature and that they would need to be investigated by the police.”

At her weekly Beehive press conference, Jacinda Ardern fields several questions on the issue. “I want to make it very clear that I am deeply concerned and incredibly frustrated by the process that has been undertaken by the Labour Party, but also obviously by the nature of the allegations,” she says. “I was informed in the very beginning that the allegations made were not sexual in nature. That is obviously directly counter to what is now being reported.”

She says the individual has not been on the parliamentary precinct for five weeks. She refuses to express confidence in Haworth, stressing that she wishes to wait for the fresh inquiry to be completed. Maria Dew QC will report directly to her, she says.

September 10

The lawyer acting for the Labour staffer contacts The Spinoff saying the “serious claims” made about his client are “without foundation”, that the man has “agreed to cooperate fully” with the QC-led inquiry, and legal action may follow.

An “open letter to the prime minister” is circulated within the party by “Me Too Labour”, an unnamed “group of Labour Party members who are writing to you to urge you to immediately take action regarding the allegations” surrounding the staffer. It makes a series of demands including the resignation of Haworth. The letter, which The Spinoff has verified originates from party members, had by Wednesday morning attracted more than 200 signatures.

Nigel Haworth tells media he is “confident I have handled the process in a professional manner”. In a statement, he reiterates his position that “the serious allegation of a sexual assault, outlined in The Spinoff article and in other media, was not provided to the president and acting general secretary at a meeting in the Wellington Central Library or subsequently to the Labour Party investigation panel.”

Sarah tells The Spinoff she is adamant her account is accurate. Of the Labour Party, she says: “Standing by a process you know is flawed, a process you know retraumatised and put further young women at risk, is cowardly.”

 

 

[Ohokaman 5,825]

On 9/10/2019 at 1:42 PM, rdytdy said:

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's cynical Sunday 'policy' rollouts

Mike Hosking

 

What's with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her proclivity to spend Sundays making minor announcements, dressed up as major announcements, so she can get some easy coverage on the television news?

The trouble with small countries like ours is very little happens on the weekends outside of sport and road accidents.

Media organisations know this and staff accordingly. Thus if you look closely on a Saturday or Sunday night on the news, it's the accident report, followed by international tape that's come in overnight, and the obligatory puff pieces to fill it all out, until the weather starts.

Advertisement

Advertise with NZME.

 

Governments use this to their advantage, hence you will note this Government has, of late, started using Sundays to make headlines.

READ MORE:
• Jacinda Ardern: 'Labour Party president will quit if failures are discovered'

First one was the day after that infamous National Party conference in which Simon Bridges, almost unbelievably, was able to announce a cancer agency despite the fact it was Labour policy. So having stolen Saturday's news, Labour rolled up on Sunday with an announcement of their own. This one involved moving cancer equipment to some of the regions.

In the grand scheme of things it meant nothing, did little, but served its purpose: it was on the news.

Then the other Sunday they rolled out their cancer service policy, this was the one they should have rolled out before National. But better late than never... or was it?

In reality, it was nothing more than intention. They would end the postcode nature of the disease, how? No one seemed to know, they still don't. I asked the Prime Minister last week, she told me to stand by for Heather Simpson's DHB report. I did, it came the next day, and it recommended nothing.

I also asked about the targets they talked of. They already have targets, they are not being met, half of the DHBs are failing to meet them. So what do they do about that? Nothing. What did the report recommend about doing about it? Nothing.

All that came out of that Sunday was $60 million for Pharmac, which isn't really $60 million, it's $20m per year over three years. Remembering of course that once you give someone a $20m pay rise to have them not go backwards next year it's another $20m, so in essence you're only getting $20 million more drugs.

 

And then last Sunday, mental health. A scheme whereby you can go to your doctor and get your warts seen to and some mental health as well. Good theory, except it's only at a handful of clinics. In other words, it's not a policy, it's an intention.

Which is what they did with the school lunches, the only difference being that wasn't announced on a Sunday (given schools aren't open). Lunch will be served at 30 schools, it may end up rolling out to 120, still a couple of thousand schools will miss out. Like hundreds of thousands of patients will miss out on mental health.

No one ever seems to point this out. Ardern is hardly ever held to account. She turns up, smiles, talks a big game, hugs one of the recipients of whatever the largesse involves, gets on the news, and is gone.

If there were votes for announcing stuff that may or may not ever happen it would be a landslide. Let's call it 'seed of an idea Sunday' or 'the policy that's not really a policy'.

It's a visual press release, where next to nothing changes, but you get your picture on the telly. If there are learnings, let's at least start seeing them for what they are.

 

 

We have no idea really. Any suicide here is a failure on many fronts. America has 800,000 a year....hard to imagine.

[100 1 1,386]

This guy is on to it.

 

 

 

[rdytdy 5,341]

By Christie

Does anyone remember Hogan’s Heroes? Barry Soper does. He has likened our much loved prime minister to Sergeant Schultz of Hogan’s Heroes… that esteemed German officer who said repeatedly, particularly in a crisis – “I see nothing, I hear nothing, I know nothing”.

If you have listened to Jacinda on the Mike Hosking Show, or the AM Show, or any of the other shows where she regularly makes an appearance, you will understand the comparison. In fact, all that is missing is the fake German accent.

 

It beggars belief that the leadership of the Labour Party didn’t know something about the allegations of sexual abuse levelled at a Labour staffer.

This man was after all sent packing from Parliament five weeks ago and is apparently now working from home. Ardern admits to being aware he was the subject of complaints but had no idea that they were of a sexual nature.
If she’s to be believed it seems she blithely accepted the word of Haworth that the complaints were, well just complaints. It also seems she was aware of an email sent to some of us in the media two months ago, purportedly from a woman who was representing 12 complainants against the the same staffer who she named, with many of the alleged complaints being sexual including allegations of rape.

It seems that someone can be accused of unwanted hugs and the Speaker, Trevor Mallard, can call him a rapist; but this guy, against whom there were numerous complaints, got to keep his job because he was ‘too valuable’ to Labour and the prime minister?

She admits to taking advice on the email, spoke to Haworth but was assured the complaint he was dealing with wasn’t sexual.

There, there Jacinda, don’t worry. Nothing for you to bother your pretty little head about…

It was only yesterday when she read the account of the alleged sexual assault on a 19-year-old volunteer on the website The Spinoff that she claims she realised sex was involved. It seems as though Ardern’s been living in a soundproof cocoon for the past several weeks as the media around her raged about the alleged sexual assaults.

And the same could be said of Haworth, who says he too was unaware of the serious allegation of sexual assault until he read the account yesterday.

Jacinda read The Spinoff’s report on Monday, but she’d somehow managed to miss all the other media reports since early August on the matter? Anyone got a spare bridge to sell to these guys – or to anyone else who believes this garbage?

Not everyone can be telling the truth, between Ardern, Haworth and the complainants’ version of events so far.

Let’s just say I believe the complainants. The evidence so far is heavily in their favour, and we already know the extent to which Jacinda hides behind inquiries and reports, and obfuscates wherever she can. The complainants have much more to lose by going public with this, but that is exactly what they have done.

Don’t expect the guilt to fall on Ardern when the Queen’s Counsel they’ve hired to review the process Labour adopted in dealing with the complaint comes down with her finding. For her part the PM’s left us in no doubt that she’s had what she says is contradictory information from what Haworth’s been telling her and what’s she’s now finally seen in the media.

She says she needs clarity and will act decisively when the QC delivers her findings in about a month’s time. If Haworth’s found wanting, Ardern says she expects him to do the decent thing and resign. But what if she’s found wanting? I can’t see her doing the same thing.

A Newspaper

Once again, Jacinda would not know decisiveness or leadership if it slapped her in the face. Of course, Haworth has now resigned but hopefully his will not be the only head to roll. In the meantime, Jacinda plays her only trick… of trying to postpone any verdict on these events until a report comes out, so that the facts can be buried, and, with any luck, forgotten.

I don’t think this will be forgotten, Jacinda, even if we have to wait for the QC’s report, in a month’s time. This is the second time that the governing party has failed to protect its own people from sexual assault, or possibly worse. Sexual assault in the halls of government? This is not going to go away.

The media is going bananas over this. And it is about time.

[rdytdy 5,341]

By General

Bennett Belatedly Hits Her Target Hard

Hansard Report 11/09/19:

Hon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I move, That the House take note of miscellaneous business.

he prime minister says she did not know there were sexual assault allegations against one of her staff members until Monday. I could go through the various media reports since 5 August and my own representation since being contacted by victims to show the inconsistencies in this, but they have already been well traversed in the last 24 hours.

Back in 2016, Jacinda Ardern wrote an op-ed about the scandal surrounding the Chiefs rugby team. She said that a resignation is not enough: “It’s the PR quick fix—usher the source of the controversy away. But that solves nothing. After all, apologies followed by silence changes nothing, and change is what we need.”

The resignation today of Nigel Haworth cannot be, in the prime minister’s words, “the PR quick fix—usher the source of the controversy away.” Yes, Mr Haworth needed to go, and it should have happened weeks ago, but what is also known is that the prime minister’s own senior staff and a senior Minister have known the seriousness of the allegations but have not acted.

The complainants were members of the Labour Party. They genuinely believed that the party would listen to their complaints and deal with the alleged offender appropriately, but nothing happened. It clearly has taken an incredible sense of frustration, disappointment, and disillusion for these people to come to me, a National Party MP, to try and see their complaints addressed.

These are serious allegations. The prime minister cannot keep her head in the sand and pretend like it is happening somewhere far, far away. It is happening in her own office, in her own organisation. She is the leader of the Labour Party. The alleged perpetrator works in her leader’s office—he works for her.

Less than a year ago, the prime minister was in New York at the UN, trumpeting “Me too should be we too.” Well, who knew that that meant her own office was following the path well trod by all those companies who drew a curtain over sexual misconduct and inappropriate behaviour.

I have been told by the complainants that Jacinda Ardern’s former chief of staff Mike Monroe knew about the allegations, her chief press secretary, Andrew Campbell, knew about the allegations, and the director of her leader’s office, Rob Salmond, knew about the allegations. I have been told by two victims who work in parliament that they went to Rob Salmond around Christmas time and made a complaint about the alleged perpetrator.

The prime minister has constantly said her office did not receive complaints and, in fact, encouraged the victims to speak to their line managers. They did. They have told me they went to Rob Salmond and nothing was done, and we are expected to believe that none of these men in her own office told the prime minister about the allegations—all of this in the aftermath of the Labour summer camp scandal, when the prime minister made it very clear she expected to have been told. And are we really expected to believe that she didn’t know that her chief press secretary, Andrew Campbell, embarked on a witch-hunt to try and find out who in the Beehive was talking to the media about the allegations? The complainants certainly felt hunted and scared that he was trying to shut them up and stop them from talking to the media—classic bullying of victims, and hardly a victim-led response.

A victim has told me that the alleged perpetrator has deep alliances to Grant Robertson, that he was involved in his campaign for the Labour Party leadership, and that Grant Robertson has known the seriousness of these allegations. It is unbelievable that he hasn’t discussed this with his close friend and his leader.

This all smacks of a cover-up. This goes straight to the top: to the prime minister, to senior Cabinet ministers, and—

SPEAKER: Order! The member’s time has expired.

 

[crustyngrizzly 1,700]

This incident makes the pony tail pulling saga a joke.

Where are the police in all this.

Its going to take more than a worried frown,a toothy grin and a shake of the head to make this go away.

[crustyngrizzly 1,700]

Whats the bet the Police are ask to investigate this.(as they should) and that will give the PM the opportunity to shut down talk on this incident as this would be sub judice.

[Boss Hogg 320]

    Hi all I enjoy the effort that you guys put in on this subject as we all know you never win talking about politics . I would like to run past you's this scenario that could play out. A major red flag has played out this week which I thought you guys would have picked up on . I'll start at the beginning,please bare with me.   Our leader who we will call Cindy has just sent Golriz Ghahraman who we will call GG on a tax payer jaunt to NewYork to the United Nations considering she is only a list MP and a bloody poor one at that the mind boggles.But that is were it gets interesting and the penny drops ,off goes GG to see her bestie the smiling assassin Ilhan Omar. who we will call IO Now these two muppets hang out together and laughing hysterically at the old guard racists and their concern about White Supremacy really? GG says IO is her bestie and her hero ,this is the woman who said 911 was a umm errr glitch ,Would you think Cindy would be talking to GG about who she see's on a tax payer trip. I bet she says nothing it would have been  organised .Now my senario goes like this

GG  Its great to see you bestie and this trip, the old guard racists paid for this Haha laughing hysterically.

IO Were are you from GG ,you see I'm in a bit of a pickel here and they are going to send me back to Somalia but if I go back there they will shoot me

GG Oh thats terrible [still laughing].

IO Not only that I cant go to Israel , or 90%  of the planet,were did you say your from?

GG New Zealand  Its so much coool full of old guard racists who put me in this job were I do nothing

IO  Wow that sounds good but if I came were would I get a job I dont want to work ,I just want to spreed hatred every day.

GG  You can come and be with me and my Green Party, bestie .{GG now jumping up and down]

IO  but no one will vote for me.

GG  thats were its so coool bestie we put you on the list and you can get in easy ,{Im so excited]

IO   Can my wonderful family come ?

GG  Just use the same ploy you got into USA

IO Will I be in the next election as I have a lot of baggage

GG  Cindy will love you and she will give you lots of hugs and show you baby photos of Nevelle.

I think I have bored you all long enough but stranger things have happened and how GG accounts for this trip ?

Cheers BH

[rdytdy 5,341]

Credit: TE PAPA 

The moment I found out that you found out, I acted swiftly

12/09/2019 at 5:31 pm

I am every bit as angry as you are.

I am every bit as disappointed as you must be.

The people with power, oversight and the ability to do something about these processes within the Labour Party should be ashamed. Whoever those people are, I am running out of patience with them, and the way they continually let us down, while helpless people like you and me stand by and can only watch failure after failure.

I can assure you, earnestly, that the moment I found out about the fact that you had found out about the facts, I acted immediately to see what the situation was.

I would never sit on my hands if it ever became apparent to me that something had become apparent to you, and that’s my promise.

I was immensely disappointed to learn that our party president, Nigel Haworth, had conducted himself this way. Again.

If I had foreseen that he could do something like this (again), then I would never have let him get away with it in the first place again.

Some of you are still not satisfied with the extent of my involvement in this, and that’s okay (legally).

But it was only on Monday that I learned that you had learned that Paula Bennett had learned that others had learned, and the moment I heard that others had heard, and that Grant had heard, and that Mike had heard and Rob had heard, then I acted swiftly to wait for Nigel to resign.

I was fixing myself a coffee on Monday night and Clarke said to me “What’s all this about? Didn’t you know about this five weeks ago?”

And I said “I didn’t know the extent of it! I thought it was just bullying!”

I never promised that our party would be free of bullying. Government is about compromise, and we are in a coalition with New Zealand First.

I know that many of you are sceptical of us now, in large part because this has happened not once, but twice. But if you can find it in yourself to put your trust in me once again, then I promise you there will not be a fourth time.

[100 1 1,386]

16 hours ago, Boss Hogg said:

    Hi all I enjoy the effort that you guys put in on this subject as we all know you never win talking about politics . I would like to run past you's this scenario that could play out. A major red flag has played out this week which I thought you guys would have picked up on . I'll start at the beginning,please bare with me.   Our leader who we will call Cindy has just sent Golriz Ghahraman who we will call GG on a tax payer jaunt to NewYork to the United Nations considering she is only a list MP and a bloody poor one at that the mind boggles.But that is were it gets interesting and the penny drops ,off goes GG to see her bestie the smiling assassin Ilhan Omar. who we will call IO Now these two muppets hang out together and laughing hysterically at the old guard racists and their concern about White Supremacy really? GG says IO is her bestie and her hero ,this is the woman who said 911 was a umm errr glitch ,Would you think Cindy would be talking to GG about who she see's on a tax payer trip. I bet she says nothing it would have been  organised .Now my senario goes like this

GG  Its great to see you bestie and this trip, the old guard racists paid for this Haha laughing hysterically.

IO Were are you from GG ,you see I'm in a bit of a pickel here and they are going to send me back to Somalia but if I go back there they will shoot me

GG Oh thats terrible [still laughing].

IO Not only that I cant go to Israel , or 90%  of the planet,were did you say your from?

GG New Zealand  Its so much coool full of old guard racists who put me in this job were I do nothing

IO  Wow that sounds good but if I came were would I get a job I dont want to work ,I just want to spreed hatred every day.

GG  You can come and be with me and my Green Party, bestie .{GG now jumping up and down]

IO  but no one will vote for me.

GG  thats were its so coool bestie we put you on the list and you can get in easy ,{Im so excited]

IO   Can my wonderful family come ?

GG  Just use the same ploy you got into USA

IO Will I be in the next election as I have a lot of baggage

GG  Cindy will love you and she will give you lots of hugs and show you baby photos of Nevelle.

I think I have bored you all long enough but stranger things have happened and how GG accounts for this trip ?

Cheers BH

Here's another situation that might not be so far fetched.

What if Communist China seized the property held by Chinese people overseas e.g NZ.

What would Jacinda do when they refuse to pay taxes and rates?

 

 

[rdytdy 5,341]

Jacinda Ardern could be forced to resign

Duncan Gardner:

Just six months ago, off the back of the tragic Christchurch mosque massacre, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern morphed into something resembling Mother Teresa, complete in her hijab.

She could do no wrong as she stood by, comforted, and cradled those left behind. Even her harshest critics said take a bow Prime Minister - it was Ardern at her best. Empathy in spades. Her re-election guaranteed. 

But how the mighty fall, and fall fast. Empathy must be genuine and empathy must be more than a triumph of marketing and certainly more than a smile. Actions have to follow.

But in her case, they rarely do.

Ardern has squandered a massive lead - like a racing car driver a lap ahead crashing into the side wall. I simply can't say with certainty if Ardern is going to walk away from this mass pile up.

I can't rule out that she may be forced to resign as Prime Minister - and if you think that's a bit far-fetched then consider this - the parliamentary press gallery will now hunt and haunt her. They will not leave a stone unturned looking for the document, the person, the moment that proves she's not telling the truth.

Ardern and Grant Robertson do appear to be hiding something, otherwise known as the truth.

Robertson won't say what he knew. How cagey. How convenient. It's he that heads the Ardern protection racquet. Many are saying he's known for weeks and I find it impossible to believe he didn't tell the PM. He's not that incompetent.

But let's say all her staff had heard it but didn't pass it on to her. They should be fired, as should Robertson. The list goes on.

If Jacinda really didn't know anything, then she should have, that could mean "resign".

If she did and covered it up, also grounds to resign. You can't stand tall at the UN quoting the metoo movement but at home morph into a Prime Minister who simply took no interest in the serious complaints of a young woman.

Ardern can claim she knew nothing, but the thing is I'm not sure anyone believes her. She's used five years of political capital in the space of this week alone and I genuinely believe it's not over for her yet.

[tripple alliance 1,025]

Robertson is in a tight spot , he has 3 choices  (1) he can tell what he knows  and drop cindy in it (2) he can lie and risk both being exposed as liers or (3) do what he is doing and refuse to answer questions which in its self is very damming . If the media keep hammering away at these two something will give . What ever happens this government is in deep trouble , it's gone  from steady decline to a steep dive in popularity , hopefully the end is near .

Could this be the remedy ?.

Winston , by now he can see the righting on the wall and if this labour incompetence/lying  cheating continues , which it will then nzf is doomed along with labour. Winston faces an almost impossible task at the next election , voters don't forget , the only way he may be able to salvage  nzf  is to collapse this pack of losers and claim credit for saving the country from the worst government in NZ history . He can lay the boot into labour , claim to save rural NZ from climate , environmental extremists , campaign for reinstating the 11 abandoned motorway projects etc etc , this will be his only chance he has to save NZF from obliteration . 

Perhaps someone should suggest this to him if he isn't already thinking about it .

[rdytdy 5,341]

[shodsie 208]

https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/homeless-moved-from-cars-to-motels-its-just-shifted-the-problem/ar-AAHekcy?li=BBSVtLJ

now i'm no cruel bastard but how the hell can situations like this occur in nz........... 3 billion can build a lot of houses ............ 

do they ask themselves why the landlords have disappeared???

[tripple alliance 1,025]

14 hours ago, tripple alliance said:

Robertson is in a tight spot , he has 3 choices  (1) he can tell what he knows  and drop cindy in it (2) he can lie and risk both being exposed as liers or (3) do what he is doing and refuse to answer questions which in its self is very damming . If the media keep hammering away at these two something will give . What ever happens this government is in deep trouble , it's gone  from steady decline to a steep dive in popularity , hopefully the end is near .

Could this be the remedy ?.

Winston , by now he can see the righting on the wall and if this labour incompetence/lying  cheating continues , which it will then nzf is doomed along with labour. Winston faces an almost impossible task at the next election , voters don't forget , the only way he may be able to salvage  nzf  is to collapse this pack of losers and claim credit for saving the country from the worst government in NZ history . He can lay the boot into labour , claim to save rural NZ from climate , environmental extremists , campaign for reinstating the 11 abandoned motorway projects etc etc , this will be his only chance he has to save NZF from obliteration . 

Perhaps someone should suggest this to him if he isn't already thinking about it .

It seems it's not only me that sees a little panic setting in . NZF will be worried .

"" As unlikely as it seems, Grant Robertson could probably sink the prime minister with what he knows about this sordid Labour Party sex scandal.

But to sink her is to sink him. ""

"" The coalition support will suffer accordingly and a good deal of the political capital Jacinda Ardern has accrued will evaporate.   Much depends on how this sad affair plays out but given the shambles to date observers might suggest the next few months will see the New Zealand First players increasingly distancing themselves from a Labour party that is hardly covering itself with glory. ""

[100 1 1,386]

 

 

 

 

[rdytdy 5,341]

10 minutes of Jacinda lying. 

[rdytdy 5,341]

By JC

 

First, the youth camp and now the staffer. My, what a tangled sexual web we weave.

The predicament that both the administrative and political wings of the Labour party find themselves in is entirely of their own making. They are without peer as organisations which appear unable to see red flags when they are staring them in the face. I would have thought red would be the colour that was most recognisable to them. Patently not.

The president has already resigned; something he had but little option to do. In my opinion, he handled it the way he did to protect Ms Ardern and has paid the price. The next person to go should be the prime minister herself but, like the staffer in her office, she is too valuable to the Party. She’d no more fall on her sword than try and work out which way is up. This shows the total lack of a moral compass in the Labour party. It’s all about protecting their own and to hell with the WELL-BEING of the alleged victims.

Grant Robertson, answering a question in parliament on Wednesday afternoon, said the government was interested in the well-being of all New Zealanders. He forgot to add: unless you’re a victim of sexual assault. And he also has questions to answer as to what he knew and when.

We now know that those at the top in Ardern’s office, even those who have since left, knew about these allegations. That begs the question: if, as she says, she knew nothing, why wasn’t she told? To me that says she either has little respect from those working in her office or they quite rightly think she can’t handle these types of situations. She is now, conveniently, saying the whole thing is a party matter and the party has handled it very badly. So, once again, in spite of the staffer working in her office, she spews out the line it’s nothing to do with me.

The prime minister has said that she is going to take charge. She could and should have intervened at the outset with a view to finding out the truth of the allegations, but it appears she chose, out of her own self-interest, to do nothing. That says a lot about her own view of telling right from wrong. Jacinda is now getting a reputation for, at best, making bad decisions and, at worst, obfuscating the truth. She hasn’t the mental capacity to do the job. Obviously nothing was learnt nothing from the youth camp debacle.

The problem with this Labour-led coalition, (the word rabble springs to mind), is that they are either not capable of, or shy away from, taking ownership of and dealing with legislative matters. They prefer instead to set up working groups who can provide advice on how they should act. This method of governing serves only to highlight the ineptness of those supposedly in charge of what they like to call this country’s “wellbeing.”

Their ineptness is further highlighted by the fact that of the decisions they have taken on their own most have been disastrous. Oil and gas, Kiwibuild, child poverty, economic growth, the Regional Development Fund and Immigration to name but a few. The ministers in this government, like the prime minister, are clearly not up to the task in front of them.  A look into their respective occupational backgrounds tells you why. This is a government that is woeful in the extreme.

It’s a sad state of affairs when we have a Labour party so devoid of talent that they have to act in a conniving and deceitful manner to hang onto a person who clearly should not be on their payroll. So devoid of talent are they that they have to hang onto a person whose job as prime minister is so clearly beyond her.

In a word – pitiful.